15 U.S. Code § 1111 - Notice of registration; display with mark; recovery of profits and damages in infringement suit

Notwithstanding the provisions of section
1072 of this title, a registrant of a mark registered in the Patent and Trademark Office, may give notice that his mark is registered by displaying with the mark the words “Registered in U.S. Patent and Trademark Office” or “Reg. U.S. Pat. & Tm. Off.” or the letter R enclosed within a circle, thus ®; and in any suit for infringement under this chapter by such a registrant failing to give such notice of registration, no profits and no damages shall be recovered under the provisions of this chapter unless the defendant had actual notice of the registration.

1975—Pub. L. 93–596substituted “Patent and Trademark Office, may give notice that his mark is registered by displaying with the mark as used the words ‘Registered in U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’ or ‘Reg. U.S. Pat. & Tm. Off.’ ” for “Patent Office, may give notice that his mark is registered by displaying with the mark as used the words ‘Registered in U.S. Patent Office’ or ‘Reg. U.S. Pat. Off.’ ”.

1962—Pub. L. 87–772substituted “in the Patent Office, may” for “under the Act of March 3, 1881, or the Act of February 20, 1905, or on the principal register established by this chapter, shall”, and “to give such notice of registration,” for “so to mark goods bearing the registered mark, or by a registrant under the Act of March 19, 1920, or by the registrant of a mark on the supplemental register provided by this chapter”.